NPA torches 6 trucks of banana firm in NCotabato

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines  --- Communist rebels set on fire  six trucks of an agricultural firm in an attack Monday dawn in Matalam town in the second district of the province.

1Lt. Nash Sema, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion, said the New People’s Army rebels that attacked the equipment depot of the Sumifru Banana Co. in Barangay Bangbang in Matalam could have come from North Cotabato’s nearby Antipas town, where there are NPA forces.

Barangay officials said the NPAs burned three prime mover trucks and three other hauler trucks of the fruit firm after its management refused to pay “protection money”.

Captain Tony Bulao, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade, said a joint security contingent comprised of soldiers from the 57th IB and the 10th Special Forces Company are pursuing the rebels, who escaped immediately after setting the trucks on fire.

“The area is much closer to the town proper of Antipas so the municipal police office there is now helping determine the identities of the rebels behind the burning of the trucks for them to be charged with arson,” Bulao said.